Target killings continued for a second consecutive day on Thursday as three key members of the Mohajir Qaumi Movment-Haqiqi (MQM-H), including the party’s vice-chairman, information secretary and a member of the Central Committee, were murdered in an armed assault on a taxi. The driver of the cab was also gunned down in the brazen attack.

The MQM-H leaders, identified as Zafar Kayam Khani, 50, Aleem Khan, 45, Abdul Qadir Jilani, 45, were sprayed with bullets by four armed men on two motorcyclists as they were in a cab near the Attock Petrol Pump in the Landhi Future Colony of the main Korangi Industrial area. The driver of the cab, Niaz Sabir Khan, was also injured in the attack.

Locals rushed to the spot after hearing the deafening gunfire and saw the gory sight of the men lying in the taxi. The people called ambulances and the victims were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where all of them breathed their last during treatment. Witnesses said that all the motorcyclists were wearing helmets.

A medico-legal officer at the JPMC, Afzal Raja, told The News that each of the victims had suffered at least four to five bullets to their upper bodies. A 9mm bullet was also extracted from the body of Zafar Kayam Khani, while empty casings of the same caliber were recovered from the scene of the crime.

SHO Ijaz Khokhar told The News that Zafar Kayam Khani was the vice-chairman of the party, while Aleem Khan was the information secretary. The third party member, Qadir Jalani, was part of the Central Committee of the MQM-H.

All the victims were temporary residents of the Sherpao Colony in Landhi and had left their houses in a taxi to visit MQM-H Chairman Afaq Ahmed in Defence.

As news of the deadly attack spread, armed men forced the closure of businesses in the Landhi, Korangi and Malir areas. The bodies were later transported under strict security to the Landhi area and there Namaz-e-Janaza would be held at the Star Ground.

Couple slain

A couple, both of whom practiced as doctors, were shot dead when two armed men on a motorcycle sprayed their vehicle with bullets near the Gulshan-e-Kaneez Society situated in Mobina Town of the Sachal police limits. The assailants fled after carrying out the attack.

Locals rushed to the aid of the victims and found Doctors Iqbal Hussain, 40, and Dilshad Faitama, 30, lying in a pool of blood. The couple was taken to a private hospital in a critical condition and both of them died while being treated. Later, the corpses were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for a postmortem.

The police also went to the scene of the crime and found the empty casings of 9mm bullets.

SHO Sachal Azhar Iqbal confirmed to The News that both victims were doctors and ran a clinic in the morning, while at night; they were on duty at the Kiran Hospital. Iqbal added that the couple was Shia and he suspected that they were murdered in a sectarian attack.

MQM supporter slain

A 35-year-old activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Osama, was gunned down outside his residence by unidentified motorcyclists in the Orangi Town area of the Pakistan Bazaar police limits.

The injured man was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where he died while being treated.

The police confirmed that the victim was a supporter of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and killed in a targeted incident.

Man killed

Twenty-five-year-old Anwer was shot dead when unidentified motorcyclists intercepted his bike and sprayed him with bullets on the Hub River Road in the Mochko police limits.

The body was taken to the Civil Hospital for legal formalities.

According to the police, the deceased was a resident of Ittehad Town in Baldia Town and was killed in a targeted attack.

Doctors’ killing slammed

The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), while strongly condemning the target killing of Dr. Iqbal Ahsan and his wife Dr Kaneez Fatima, on Thursday demanded that the government immediately take notice of the continuous killing of doctors and threats posed to their lives.

“These killings of doctors have spread fear among the fraternity. They have many times asked the government for strict action on this account but nothing has been done thus far”, said Dr. Salman Ghauri, President PIMA, Karachi, in a statement.

He further said that hundreds of lives were associated with one doctor. As such, there was a need to provide the medical fraternity adequate security “How can the doctors be expected to perform their duties when their own lives have been put in a danger”, he questioned.

Dr Ghauri urged the government of Sindh to arrest the killers of Dr Ahsan and his wife.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) also condemned the killing of the two doctors, Dr. Iqbal Ahsan and his wife Dr. Kaneez Fatima on sectarian grounds and claimed that government had failed to protect the lives of health professionals in the country.

In a statement, the PMA, Sindh, President, Dr. Samrina Hashmi, said it had become quite impossible for the doctors to work under these circumstances, when lives of doctors were constantly jeopardised in Karachi, and demanded immediate action for the protection of health professionals, arrest of the killers, and meting out of exemplary punishment to them.

The Majlis-e-Wahade-e-Muslimeen (MWM) has strongly condemned the sectarian killing of two doctors, husband and wife.

The spokesman of the MWM, Ali Ahmer, condemning the incident, said that Police and Rangers had completely failed to protect the citizens of Karachi and demanded an “Army operation to provide protection to helpless residents of this city.”

He said the couple were going home in their car when they were shot dead and said it was an obvious sectarian killing.

Ali said that since Ashura, four Shias had been killed, including the husband-and-wife doctors. He said the couple were married three years ago and had a year-and-a-half old daughter. They were residents of Ancholi Society , he said.

The ill-fated couple were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed hospital for treatment where they succumbed to their injuries.

He said that target and sectarian killers had once again infiltrated the city and were busy killing Shias.

He strongly condemned the government over their failure to maintain law and order in Karachi.

Ali said that the MWM would stage a countrywide demonstration against target and sectarian killings in Karachi.

PML(F) Secretary-General Imtiaz Sheikh expressed deep grief over the murder of the doctor-couple and said that this clearly showed the complete failure of the government.

Sunni Tehrik (ST) spokesman Fahim Sheikh also condemned the killings of the two doctors.

He demanded that the government adopt concrete measures for providing protection to the citizens.

Jamaat-e-Islami spokesman and Director, Public Relations, Sarfaraz Ahmed, most strongly condemned the murder of two doctors in Karachi and demanded that government immediately step down as it had failed miserably to fulfill its sacred duty towards the citizens. The Jamiaat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) has also condemned the murder of doctor-couple.